The 23-year-old held off the challenge of Australia's Russell Mark in a thrilling shoot-off to clinch victory.

The win means that after just five days Britain have already overhauled their gold medal tally of Atlanta 1996, when the coxless pairs rowing team were the country's solitary Olympic champions.

Faulds, from Longparish in Hampshire, was lying fourth going into the final round.

But he kept his nerve at the Sydney International Shooting Centre to become Britain's first shooting gold medallist since Malcolm Cooper in 1988.

Surprise success

A jubilant Faulds said: "I thought I had lost it. I cannot believe it. It's a dream come true - somebody smack me!

"Russell is the greatest without doubt and to beat him is awesome."

It is Britain's second shooting medal of the Games, as Ian Peel won silver in the single trap on Sunday.

The bronze medal went to Kuwait's Fehaid Al Deehani, who missed the gold medal shoot-out by one point.

Home hope beaten

Faulds, who was fifth in the Atlanta Games four years ago, qualified for Sydney by shooting a double trap world record score at a World Cup meeting.

The Surrey-born marksman, who competes for the East Yorkshire Gun Club, was two points behind Mark, who had shot an Olympic record total of 143 in the preliminary round.

But in the six-man final Faulds, who first competed for Britain at the age of 12, levelled the score with the Australian to set up the two-man gold medal shoot-out.

Mark had the crowd behind him - but Faulds responded to the vocal support for his opponent in superb fashion and hit three of the four clay targets to Mark's two to clinch the Olympic crown.

Russell paid tribute to the Briton, after his narrow defeat.

"There's no luck involved. I had the chance to win it and I didn't take it," said Mark.

"He's a great shot, a great person and he deserves to be number one."